Page 52 of Cast in Shadow
Which meant I needed to shift gears and try like hell to make it back to my Jeep, even though only half of me wanted that.
When I spotted an opening in the trees leading back to the trail, I cut toward it. I made it two more steps when a rush of desire hit me. My knees went weak. My heart thrummed wildly. And I couldn’t draw enough breath to keep up my pace.
Emerson was playing dirty.
So, I did the only thing I could think of:Fight fire with fire.
I meant to hit him with my desire, as he’d done to me, but I was too new to using our mental connection like this. Instead of letting him see one specific emotion, I pulled the curtain back too far, revealing everything I was feeling. The desire, the fear, the homesickness… all of it rushed out of me through our link.
A grunt sliced through the air like he’d just taken a punch to the gut. Then an inhuman growl rumbled through the darkness.
Shit.A chill spread through my limbs.
I’d been hoping to trip him up. Instead, I’d given him a crystal clear view of how I still felt about him and how much I was holding back.
Branches slapped at my face and my arms. Greedy shrubs snagged my running capris and nipped at my shins as I tore through the trees trying to make it to safe ground, if there even was such a thing. I poured magic into my muscles, willing myself to move faster, and when my feet finally landed on the groomed dirt of the main trail, I pushed even harder.
Daring a glance over my shoulder, I almost hauled myself to a stop when I saw the path behind me was empty. But I kept pushing because I could still feel him out there and in my head.
Cold air stung my throat. My chest and legs burned from the exertion. And when the lights of the parking area came into view, my heart stuttered. I wanted to make it to my Jeep, but I also didn’t.
Some sick, twisted part of me wanted Emerson to catch me.
He must have sensed that desire because another deep growl rolled through my mind.“Do you really think I’ll ever let you slip through my fingers again?”
Two ragged breaths later, a strong arm caught me by the waist mid-stride, lifting me off my feet. I screamed and bucked, trying to break free of his hold. I knew it was him, and as much as I wanted him—desperately—something about this game demanded I fight.
He was the hunter, I was the prey, but I was no toothless kitten.
I wrenched my body in unnatural ways, barely managing to slip free of his grip. He let me get five more steps before he caught my arm and yanked me around. His chest slammed into mine, knocking the air from my already screaming lungs.
Emerson’s eyes glowed a threatening red, fierce and wanting. One hand came up around my neck in an instant, but he didn’t cut off my air this time. The other grabbed a handful of my ass and yanked me right into his swollen cock, the thin fabric of his joggers doing nothing to hide the hardness.
I bucked my hips away and fought with my hands against his hold, no matter how badly the wild parts of me wanted to grind into that hardness. My fingers clawed at his, trying to peel them away from my skin.
For one brief moment, I considered using my magic to break his hold and win this fight. But I still wasn’t sure Iwantedto win.
I just knew I wasn’t done fighting.
Wrapping my hands around his meaty forearm, I hauled myself up, putting all my weight on the one limb. It was just enough to catch him off guard, and I used my advantage to wedge my legs between us and pry out of his iron grip.
I landed hard on my back with an, “Oof.”
The tender skin on my neck burned where I’d torn free. My back ached from hitting the ground. But I was actually free, so I scrambled to my feet and took off again.
No more evading. I made a beeline for the Jeep.
Dirt turned to pavement. Empty parking spaces flicked by as I ran, and I started mentally counting down the distance.
Forty yards.
Thirty.
Twenty.
I’m going to make it!
The word “ten” skipped through my mind a split second before a pair of big hands latched onto me.
